Abigail Breslin Opens Up About Experiencing PTSD After Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

One in 10 women develops post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in her life. Abigail Breslin recently shared, in an emotional Instagram post, that she's one of them. In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, she explained that she developed complex PTSD after experiencing sexual assault and domestic violence.

Complex PTSD occurs when someone experiences traumatic events repeatedly over an extended period of time. Breslin wrote in another Instagram post that her PTSD was related to being a rape survivor, and her more recent one elaborates that her abusive relationship was a contributor as well. "I’m a domestic violence and sexual assault survivor," she wrote. "While I now am no longer with my abuser, in the aftermath of what happened to me, I developed Complex PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)."

In the post, she shared a photo of a cut on her ankle. "I took this pic of my ankle a few hours ago right after one of my 'episodes' as I call them," she explained. "I was so freaked out and disoriented, I slipped and fell on a piece of glass. Usually, they occur right after I’ve been triggered... problem is, triggers are often very hard to detect. Which is exactly why #domesticviolenceawarenessmonth is so important."

Speaking out about what being triggered is really like is especially important in a day and age when "trigger warnings" are looked down upon. Breslin explained that this is why she's speaking out: to help people with PTSD see that their condition does not reflect negatively on them.

"We must keep the discussion open," she explained. "While at first I felt this was very awkward and uncomfortable to post, I reminded myself of something I say often: PTSD is absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed or embarrassed about. PTSD is the result of an uncontrollable scenario. Never feel like you are less than because you have a condition that you didn’t cause. You are still beautiful, you are still important, you are still WORTHY."